Privacy Policy

Solstream Counselling and Psychotherapy

Last updated: May 4, 2026

Solstream Counselling and Psychotherapy (“Solstream,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information and personal health information with care, respect, and accountability.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, protect, retain, and dispose of information when you visit our website, contact us, complete forms, schedule services, or participate in counselling and psychotherapy services with Solstream.

Solstream provides virtual counselling and psychotherapy services to adults located in Ontario. Personal health information collected in the course of counselling and psychotherapy services is handled in accordance with applicable Ontario privacy legislation, including the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), applicable professional standards, and other legal and regulatory obligations.

This Privacy Policy is intended to provide general information about Solstream’s privacy practices. It does not replace Solstream’s client-facing consent forms, clinical intake documents, or Privacy Notice.

If you become a client of Solstream, you will also be asked to review and acknowledge Solstream’s client-facing Privacy Notice and other consent documents, which provide additional information about how personal health information is handled in the context of counselling and psychotherapy services.

This website and its contact forms are not intended for emergencies or crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger or need urgent support, call 911, go to your nearest emergency department, or contact 988 for suicide crisis support in Canada.

1. Accountability

Solstream is responsible for personal information and personal health information in its custody or control.

Where Solstream collects, uses, or discloses personal health information in the course of providing counselling and psychotherapy services, Solstream handles that information in accordance with PHIPA and applicable professional standards.

The privacy contact for Solstream is:

Privacy Contact: Joselin Lai
Email: admin@solstream-therapy.com

Phone: 437-783-5689
Practice location: Virtual counselling and psychotherapy services across Ontario

Questions, requests, or privacy concerns may be directed to the privacy contact above.

2. Information We May Collect

Depending on how you interact with Solstream, we may collect the following types of information.

Website information

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by the website platform or analytics tools, such as:

IP address
browser type
device type
pages visited
referring website
date and time of visit
general website usage information
cookies or similar technologies

This information helps support website functionality, security, accessibility, analytics, and user experience.

Inquiry and contact information

If you submit a contact form, email us, call us, or request a consultation, we may collect:

name
email address
phone number
preferred method of contact
general reason for contacting us
information you choose to include in your message
availability or scheduling preferences

Please avoid including highly sensitive clinical details in website contact forms or general email unless necessary.

Client and clinical information

If you become a client, we may collect information needed to provide counselling and psychotherapy services, such as:

identifying information
contact information
date of birth
emergency contact information
location confirmation for virtual care
intake and assessment information
presenting concerns and therapy goals
mental health, medical, psychosocial, occupational, and functional history relevant to care
session notes and clinical records
standardized measures or questionnaires, where clinically appropriate
consent forms and releases of information
billing, payment, and insurance-related information
communication with authorized third parties, where consent has been provided or where permitted or required by law

Solstream collects only the information reasonably necessary for the purposes of providing care, operating the practice, meeting legal and professional obligations, and protecting client safety.

3. How We Use Information

Solstream may use personal information and personal health information to:

respond to inquiries
determine whether Solstream may be an appropriate service fit
schedule consultations or appointments
provide counselling and psychotherapy services
complete intake, assessment, treatment planning, clinical documentation, and follow-up
communicate with clients about appointments, forms, billing, and practice updates
manage consent, privacy, and records requests
process payments, receipts, and insurance-related documentation
coordinate care with other providers or third parties, where authorized or legally permitted
consult with legal, clinical, privacy, or professional advisors as needed and in a privacy-protective way
comply with legal, regulatory, professional, tax, and practice obligations
maintain website security, functionality, and performance
improve website content, accessibility, and user experience using non-identifying or aggregate information where possible

Solstream does not sell personal information or personal health information.

4. Consent

Solstream collects, uses, and discloses personal information and personal health information with consent where required, and as otherwise permitted or required by law.

Consent may be express or implied, depending on the context, the type of information involved, and what the law permits.

Express consent will generally be sought before disclosing personal health information to third parties outside the usual provision of care, such as:

insurers
employers
lawyers
family members
external providers not directly involved in care
other organizations or agencies

You may withdraw or limit consent, subject to legal, professional, safety, billing, recordkeeping, and clinical obligations. Withdrawal of consent does not apply retroactively to information already collected, used, or disclosed.

Limiting or withdrawing consent may affect Solstream’s ability to provide services, communicate with others, complete forms, or coordinate care.

5. Disclosure of Information

Solstream keeps personal information and personal health information confidential except where disclosure is authorized, permitted, or required by law.

Information may be disclosed in the following circumstances:

With your consent

Solstream may disclose information to third parties when you provide written, verbal, electronic, or otherwise documented consent, depending on the circumstances and what the law permits. This may include communication with physicians, other health providers, insurers, lawyers, family members, or other authorized contacts.

To provide or support care

Information may be used or disclosed as needed to provide counselling and psychotherapy services, maintain clinical records, support continuity of care, consult appropriately, and manage practice operations.

For safety or legal reasons

Solstream may disclose information without consent where permitted or required by law, including situations such as:

risk of serious harm to self or others
child protection concerns
court orders, subpoenas, summonses, warrants, or other legal requirements
mandatory reporting obligations
professional or regulatory investigations
billing, collection, or legal defence, where applicable
circumstances where disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law

To service providers

Solstream may use third-party service providers to support secure practice operations, such as:

website hosting
electronic health record or practice management platforms
secure video platforms
email or communication systems
payment processors
accounting or bookkeeping services
secure document storage
IT, security, legal, or privacy support

Service providers are expected to protect information and use it only for authorized purposes. Solstream takes reasonable steps to use service providers that support privacy and security, and may use contractual, administrative, technical, or other safeguards where appropriate.

Some service providers may store or process information outside Ontario or outside Canada. In those cases, information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction where it is stored or processed.

6. Website Forms, Email, and Electronic Communication

Solstream takes reasonable steps to protect electronic communication; however, no method of electronic communication is completely risk-free.

Email, contact forms, voicemail, text messaging, and other electronic communication may carry risks, including:

misdirected messages
unauthorized access
interception
technical failure
delayed receipt
incomplete confidentiality
storage by third-party service providers

For this reason, website forms and general email should be used for general inquiries, scheduling, and administrative communication whenever possible, rather than detailed clinical information.

If you choose to communicate with Solstream electronically, Solstream will understand this as consent to respond using similar electronic methods unless you request otherwise or another arrangement is made.

7. Virtual Care and Technology

Solstream provides virtual counselling and psychotherapy services. Virtual care requires the use of electronic platforms and communication tools.

Clients are responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect privacy on their end, including:

attending sessions from a private location
using a secure internet connection where possible
avoiding public Wi-Fi when discussing sensitive information
using personal devices rather than shared devices where possible
ensuring others cannot overhear sessions
confirming physical location in Ontario at the time of service when requested

Solstream may use secure technology platforms to support virtual sessions, intake, documentation, billing, and communication.

8. Cookies and Website Analytics

Solstream’s website may use cookies or similar technologies to support website functionality, security, analytics, and user experience.

Cookies are small files stored on your device that help websites function properly and understand general visitor activity.

You can adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies. Some website features may not function as intended if cookies are disabled.

Where analytics are used, Solstream aims to use non-identifying or aggregate information where possible. Solstream does not use website analytics to identify clients’ clinical information.

If Solstream uses optional analytics, advertising, or tracking tools that require additional consent, Solstream will take reasonable steps to manage consent in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.

9. Marketing, Social Media, and Public Interaction

Solstream may use a website, social media, directories, or online listings to share general information about services.

Solstream does not provide therapy through social media comments, direct messages, or public online interactions.

If you interact with Solstream on social media or public platforms, your activity may be visible to others depending on your privacy settings and the platform’s policies. Public interactions are not confidential.

Solstream does not use client personal health information for testimonials, marketing, or promotional purposes without appropriate consent. Solstream does not sell client information.

If Solstream offers newsletters or email updates in the future, promotional messages will only be sent in accordance with applicable consent and unsubscribe requirements.

10. Safeguards

Solstream uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information and personal health information.

Safeguards may include:

secure electronic record systems
password protection
access controls
privacy-conscious documentation practices
secure storage
secure disposal methods
limiting access to information on a need-to-know basis
use of privacy-aware service providers
professional consultation in a de-identified or minimally identifying way where possible
ongoing review of privacy and security practices

Despite safeguards, no system, platform, or method of communication can guarantee absolute security.

11. Retention and Disposal

Solstream retains records only as long as required or reasonably necessary for clinical, legal, regulatory, tax, insurance, and professional purposes.

Clinical records are retained in accordance with applicable Ontario professional standards and legal requirements. For social work records, this generally means records are kept for at least 10 years from the date of the last entry, or, for clients who were minors, at least 10 years after the client turns or would have turned 18, unless a longer period is required or reasonably necessary.

When records or information are no longer required, they are securely destroyed or deleted in a manner intended to protect confidentiality.

Website inquiries from individuals who do not become clients may be retained only as long as reasonably necessary for administrative, legal, risk-management, or practice purposes.

12. Access and Correction Requests

You may request access to your personal health information or ask for a correction if you believe the information is inaccurate or incomplete.

Requests should be made in writing to the privacy contact listed above.

Solstream may need to verify your identity before responding to an access or correction request.

Access or correction may be limited in certain circumstances permitted by law, including where the record includes information about another person, where access may create a risk of harm, where legal restrictions apply, or where another exception applies.

A reasonable fee may apply for record access or copies where permitted by law. If a fee applies, Solstream will provide an estimate in advance.

13. Privacy Breaches

A privacy breach may occur if personal information or personal health information is lost, stolen, accessed, used, disclosed, copied, modified, or disposed of without authority.

If Solstream becomes aware of a privacy breach, we will take reasonable steps to:

contain the breach
assess the circumstances and potential risk
notify affected individuals where required
notify the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario where required
notify the applicable regulatory College or other bodies where required
reduce the risk of recurrence
document the breach and response steps

Where notice to an affected individual is required, Solstream will take reasonable steps to provide notice at the first reasonable opportunity and include information about complaint rights where required.

14. Children and Minors

Solstream’s website is intended for adults seeking information about counselling and psychotherapy services.

Solstream does not knowingly collect information from children through the website for marketing purposes. If a minor or parent/guardian contacts Solstream, information will be handled in accordance with applicable consent, capacity, privacy, and professional obligations.

15. Links to Other Websites

Solstream’s website may contain links to third-party websites, resources, booking platforms, directories, or external services.

Solstream is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, or policies of external websites or third-party platforms. You are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any external websites you visit.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Solstream may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, professional standards, technology, services, or practice operations.

The updated version will be posted on this website with the “Last updated” date revised.

17. Questions, Concerns, or Complaints

If you have questions or concerns about Solstream’s privacy practices, or if you wish to make an access, correction, or privacy complaint, please contact:

Privacy Contact: Joselin Lai
Email: admin@solstream-therapy.com

Phone: 437-783-5689

You may also contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if you have concerns about how your personal health information has been handled.